1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hose clip for clamping a hose and a releasing bar tool used for releasing the hose clip from a spread-diameter state to a reduced-diameter state in which the hose clip clamps the hose.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art has provided hose clips clamping for a hose by using a spring force which is inherent therein. The hose clips are used in an engine room of an automobile, for example. It is desirable that the hose clip should be conveyed or carried in a spread-diameter state in consideration of works at a job site. For this purpose, the prior art has provided a hose clip of the type in which knobs provided at both ends thereof are held by a holder so that the hose clip is held in the spread-diameter state. In this construction, however, the spring force of the holder springs out the holder to thereby scatter it in the job site when the holder is pulled out so that the hose clip is released into the spread-diameter state. To overcome this problem, the prior art has proposed a hose clip provided with a function of holding itself in the spread-diameter state without use of the holder. This hose clip is referred to as "self-holding type hose clip."
The assignee of the present invention has proposed such a self-holding type hose clip in a Japanese utility model application which was laid open under the Japanese laid-open utility model publication No. 6-69581. FIG. 17 illustrates the proposed hose clip. The hose clip comprises a clamping ring 30 formed by circularly bending a strip of spring plate. An arcuate first knob 31 is formed at the side of one of two free ends of the clamping ring 30. A second knob 32 is formed at the other free end side of the clamping ring 30. The second knob 32 is caused to pass through the first knob 31 and then to rise to thereby be opposed to the first knob 31. A hose H can be clamped by the hose clip when the diameter of the clamping ring 30 is reduced into a free state. On the other hand, when both knobs 31 and 32 are caused to come close to each other, the clamping ring 30 is deformed so that the hose clip can be attached to and detached from a hose H.
In order that the clamping ring 30 may be held in the spread-diameter state, the first knob 31 is formed with an engagement strip 33 extending from an inner side edge of a right-hand leg thereof and having a distal end curved frontward. The second knob 32 has an arm 34 protruding from a right-hand edge of the right-hand side edge thereof toward the first knob 31. The arm 34 includes a temporary holding claw 35 having an arcuate guide face 36 engaged with and disengaged from the engagement strip 33.
In order that the clamping ring 30 may be held in the spread-diameter state, both knobs 31 and 32 are held by a pair of pliers P as shown in FIG. 18A. Then, the temporary holding claw 35 rides via the guide face 36 onto the engagement strip 33. The knobs 31 and 32 come close to each other with the second knob 32 being displaced in the direction of the arrow or axially with respect to the clamping ring 30. Upon riding over the distal end of the engagement strip 33, the temporary holding claw 35 is engaged at the backside of the engagement strip 33 with the second knob 32 being returned by a restoring spring force, so that the clamping ring 30 is held in the spread-diameter state. On the other hand, when the hose clip is released from the spread-diameter state, the knobs 31 and 32 are held by the pliers P widthwise as shown in FIG. 18B. The knobs 31 are then forced to move axially with respect to the clamping ring 30, so that the temporary holding claw 35 is disengaged from the engagement strip 33. Consequently, the clamping ring 30 is deformed by the restoring spring force into the reduced diameter state. In the above-described hose clip, the clamping ring 30 is deformed axially but not radially when held in and released from the spread-diameter state. Consequently, the clamping ring 30 can be prevented from being deformed to such a degree that the circularity thereof is lost.
The above-described hose clip, however, presents the following problems. First, as shown in FIG. 18B, a gap or space S is defined between the knobs 31 and 32 when the clamping ring 30 has been held in the spread-diameter state. A maximum radius of the clamping ring 30 in the spread-diameter state can be obtained when both knobs 31 and 32 come close to each other until they are superposed. In the case of the above-described hose clip, however, the clamping ring 30 is held when it is reduced from the maximum radius by a predetermined amount. Thus, the hose clip is attached to and detached from the hose H in the reduced state from the maximum radius. This results in difficulty in the attaching and detaching works.
Furthermore, portions of the respective knobs 31 and 32 held by the pliers P are shifted from each other with the space S defined therebetween when the clamping ring 30 is released from the spread-diameter state, as shown in FIG. 18B. In this case, since the knobs 31 and 32 are twisted, the pliers P tend to be disengaged from the hose clip. This results in difficulty in the releasing work. Moreover, the hose clip is sometimes attached to the hose H obliquely when the knobs 31 and 32 have been twisted. In this case, since the hose clip is to be completely fitted over the entire circumference of the hose H, the sealing performance of the hose clip is reduced.
Furthermore, the temporary holding claw 35 is provided at the distal end of the arm 34. In forming the arm 34, the spring plate strip is stamped out of the material in a developed form, and the arm 34 projects from the base of the knob 32 on the same plane. Thereafter, the arm 34 needs to be bent. Thus, the projecting arm 34 increases an area of the strip in the developed form, resulting in reduction in the yield of the material and accordingly an increase in the manufacturing cost.
Additionally, the pliers must be used to release the hose clip from the spread-diameter state. The use of the pliers requires a working space to accommodate an open state of the pliers around the hose clip. However, it is sometimes difficult to secure sufficient working space in an engine room of an automobile which is closely packed with a large number of parts. Moreover, the pliers are applied to the hose clip only from above the same. This reduces a degree of freedom in selecting places where the hose clip can be installed.